Workshop Proceedings on Indigenous Fish Stock and Livelihood in Nepal 1 Introduction Contribution of indigenous fish in total production is declining worldwide as most fresh and marine fishes have been over fished (FAO 2008). Previously, many such over fished waters were introduced with non-native fish for providing immediate reliance to fishers through enhancing capture fisheries; and protection of native fish being over exploitation by diverting fisher to non-indigenous species. Details of scientific review might need either those strategies could be fruitful or not. However, recently, more focus has been given to develop the technologies of native fish species for enhancing their fishery and aquaculture from biodiversity perspectives. Knowledge and information on native species from the present perspective has seldom been synthesized and analyzed. Therefore, it is essential to collect the scattered data and prioritize the strategies for sustainable technological generation of these species in the country. The current proposal for organizing a workshop on such a crucial subject would be highly fruitful to give the direction of future research in development of fisheries and aquaculture technologies prioritizing values of indigenous fishes and re-positioning the fisheries and aquaculture to more rewarding, environment friendly, socially acceptable and economically profitable activity. The overall objective of the workshop is aquaculture development of native fish species for biodiversity and aquaculture practices. The symposium would attract the scientific attention on review, cross interaction, situation analysis, planning focused research, intervention program to make fisheries and aquaculture technology of indigenous fishes more competitive and advantageous. To address these issues, technical sessions are planned in following major themes: A. Conservation measures, environmental issues, conservation act, problems and future direction for conservation. B. Domestication and possibilities of cultivation of native fish species. C. Indigenous fishes, their biology, reproduction and future scope of cultivable native fish species. D. Status of breeding, fry rearing and nursery management. 2 Workshop Proceedings on Indigenous Fish Stock and Livelihood in Nepal Program Highlight and Objective of the Workshop Tek Bahadur Gurung Fisheries Research Division, Godawari, Lalitpur “:jb]zL df5f / hLljsf]kfh{g” sfo{zfnf uf]i7Lsf cfb/0fLo cWoIf dxf]bo, cfdlGqt cltly Ho', lgb]{zsHo'x?, k|d'vHo', j}1flgs ldq, lhNnfaf6 kfNg' ePsf dT:o k]zfdf ;+nUg bfh' efO{ lbbL alxgL, kqsf/, cfb/0fLo k|frfo{ dx]fbo, k|ltlglwH"o, ;efdf pkl:yt ;Dk"0f{ ;xefuL ldqx?nfO{ k'gM Ps k6s cfhsf o; sfo{s|ddf cfk\mgf cd'No ;do k|bfg u/L o; sfo{s|ddf ;ls|o ;xefuL x'g' ePsf]df cfef/ k|s6 ub{5' . cfhsf o; sfo{s|dsf] cfof]hgf af/] eGg' kbf{, dT:o cg';Gwfg dxfzfvf dT:o ljsf; lgb]{zgfno, g]kfn dT:o ;f];fO{6Lsf] ;+o'St k|of;df b]zsf s[lif cg';Gwfg / ljsf;sf] /fi6«Lo gLlt / sfo{s|d cg';f/ :jb]zL df5fsf] ;+/If0f, slif h}las laljwtf / ljsf;nfO{ a9fjf lbg rfn' lqaifL{o of]hgfdf sfo{s|d eP cg'?k cfh ljZj jftfj/0f lbj;sf cj';/df of] sfo{s|d cfof]hgf ePsf] xf ] . o; sfo{s|ddf xfdL s[lif gLlt / sfo{s|d cg';f/ dT:o cg';Gwfg s]Gb| kf]v/f, uf]bfj/L, lqz'nL, sfnLu08sL / ljsf; s]Gb|df ;+rfng ul/Psf :jb]zL df5fx?sf] cWoog cg';Gwfg / ljsf;sf pknlAw, lawdfg ;+s6, / ;d:of, a9bf] :yfgLo df5fdf k/]sf rfk, hnr/ P]g;+awL ljifonfO{ ;d]6/ ls;fg, dT:o k]zfdf ;+nUg ;d'bfo, of]hgfla4, kqsf/, j}1flgs Pj+ ljsf; sfo{df ;+nUg sfo{stf{x? 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Box 6133, Kathmandu, Nepal E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT Nepal has large network of mighty rivers and tributaries and several criss-crossing channels, offering immense scope for expanding aquaculture in this country. More than 200 species of fishes live and breed in this country. Habitat alterations continue to have major impart on the distribution, abundance of fishes in large rivers of Nepal Himalayas. The fishes of upper Ganges river system in Nepalese territory are perhaps least studied and poorest known natural resources. In Himalayan large rivers (Gandaki, Koshi, Karnali and Mahakali) where peoplelived, fished and settled, the natural fish habitat has been modified by man for centuries. High dams and barrages have drastically altered fish habitat and communities and blocked seasonal movement of pristine migratory fishes such as Tor tor, Schizothorax richardsoni, Anguilla bengalensis, Bagarius bagarius and Clupisoma garua etc. Reservoirs created beyond the dam provide aquaculture opportunity as well as sport fishing and other recreational opportunities. Aquaculture development problems connected with indigenous food and game fishes are carefully reviewed. Development of recreational fishing in the reservoirs is highlighted. Biotechnological innovation for Indigenous fish propagation in lakes and reservoirs and establishment of more fish hatcheries and ranching centres are suggested as means to revive economically valuable fisheries and preserve them for future. Keywords: Hydropower, game fish, recreational fisheries, fish hatcheries, reservoir fisheries, fish propagation. Introduction Fishes of Himalaya and Indo-Gangetic plain were studied by various ichthyologists in the past (Hora 1937, 1939, Menon 1974, Bhatt and Shrestha 1973, Shrestha 1979, 1990, Shrestha,1994, Talwar and Jhingran, 1991). Shrestha (1990b) gave an account and habitats of ecology of studied rare fishes of the Himalayan waters. The Nepal Himalayas are well known for their running and standing waters supporting more than 200 species of fish are described from the Himalayan drainage system of Nepal (Shrestha 1995). High diversity fishes in the rivers of Nepal calls for Workshop Proceedings on Indigenous Fish Stock and Livelihood in Nepal 5 concerted efforts to preserve them for posterity. The lotic water mass of the Himalayan region comprises many torrential rivers and streams, which provide a wide variety of ecological niches for important fresh water fishes. However, the effects of land use on fresh water systems are growing.